Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat therapy and electrotherapy back pad that stimulates the nerves and muscles of the user's back to reduce pain and stiffness, while offering a comfortable and supportive structure upon which to lie upon. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a multi-layered back pad serving as a back support and heat therapy and electrotherapy device for a user, thereby treating back injuries, pain, and soreness
It is common for individuals to experience back pain some time during their lives. Back pain can come about in a number of different ways and be a result of a number of different causes, including physical exertion, poor posture, the result of a physical injury, or as a result of individual medical issues that may make one more prone to back injury or soreness than others. The manifestation of back pain ranges from dull soreness to acute pain that can be nearly debilitating for the individual. In situations of acute pain, an individual may be bedridden for periods of time and prevented from engaging in normal activities. This makes rehabilitation activities difficult to initiate and less likely to succeed. Common remedies include the application of pain relieving medication, bed rest, and the use of physical supports for improved mobility. Each of these has their own specific drawbacks and hardships on the individual.
While physical therapy and updating one's behavior are the best ways to prevent and sometimes alleviate back pain in the long term, this does not address the real need for immediate relief of the affected area. The use of pain relieving medication serves as a temporary solution, but only masks the problem and gives rise to other concerns such as dependence and further injury to the back. A medicated individual may not realize they are exerting themselves in the moment, exacerbating an injury or causing more strain on the user's back. Swelling that may result, pinched nerves, or further straining of muscles can ensue that adversely affects the individual's recovery. The medicated user does not realize the pain and continues normal routines. This can be counterproductive to recovery, while the extended use of medication can lead to dependence on the medication, leading to other individual and public health concerns.
Therapeutic treatments for back injuries and back pain include heat therapy, electrotherapy, physical therapy, and the use of appliances that promote posture or remove stress on certain parts of the body. Heat therapy involves the application of a heat by a heat source to the affected area to relieve muscle tension and pain associated therewith. Generally a resistive heating element provides a consistent elevated temperature to the individual's back to loosen the muscles and relive tension. Electrotherapy can take on several forms, and generally concerns the application of electric current directly to the individual's muscles and nerves for stimulation and pain relief. Electrodes are connected to the user that connects to an electrical current source, which pulses the electric current for a period of time.
One such application is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS, which is nerve excitation by pulsing application of electric current directly through the individual's skin at a given frequency. The stimulation has therapeutic effects and its application is non-invasive, providing a solution that offers pain management, increased blood flow, and relaxation of muscle soreness and spasms. The final form of therapy that is most helpful is physical therapy, which involves the controlled exercise of the muscles groups of the back and other body regions for strengthening the individual and reducing stiffness. The present invention pertains to the application of both heat therapy and electrotherapy in a supportive and comfortable back pad device.
Physical appliances are supportive structures that position an individual in the proper posture or support the user properly while in different positions, either to prevent back injury or to provide therapeutic relief thereto. Proper positioning and support of one's back is essential to reducing back pain, preventing injuries, and further for treating injuries after the fact. The present invention provides a back pack having a supportive and comfortable structure that supports a user in a supine position, while at the same time applying heat therapy and electrotherapy to the user's back in a way to relieve muscle stress, treat pain, stimulate nerves, and promote proper posture while lying down.
The present invention relates to a back pad appliance upon which a user rests in a supine position, wherein the pad provides a comfortable and supportive surface having both a defined structure and imbedded therapeutic devices. Within the pad are several layers for comfort and support, along with therapy means that are directly apply treatment to individuals suffering from back pain. These therapy means include a resistive heating element that applies heat therapy to the back region of the user, while electrodes of the electrotherapy means are applied to the user's back for the application of electrical current or pulses thereof. The overall goal is to provide a back pad that can be used in the home and in bed for back pain relief, accelerating recovery of back injuries or treating back pain without the use of pain killing medication.
Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to pain relieving and therapeutic devices. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications, and generally relate to pads, pillows, and other structures having various user stimulation and therapy means. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 7,328,470 to Harris discloses a seat-less massaging bed cushion having a backrest and armrest portion for supporting a user in a seated position. Within the backrest is at least one massage unit that may include pulsing transducers or heating units controlled by a control panel and provided electrical power via a power supply. The pulsing transducers and heating units provide a massaging backrest that relieves pain and massages the user while in a seated position. While disclosing a heating and massaging therapeutic device, the Harris device fails to disclose the functional and design aspects of the present invention, notably a heat therapy and electrotherapy device for a prone user recovering from a back injury or treating a sore back during periods of rest.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0213646 to Han discloses a pillar-shaped pillow having a massaging capability. The pillow includes a vibration motor and a negative ion generating portion, both elements providing therapeutic benefits for the neck and scalp region of a user lying on the pillow. Similar to the Harris device, the Han device provides a massaging and therapeutic device for relaxation and muscle treatment, but fails to disclose the novel aspects of the heating and electrotherapy pad of the present invention.
The present invention describes a back treatment pad having a supportive structure, a heat therapy means, and an electrotherapy means, whereby the assembly is used to support a supine user. It is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing back therapy support devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.